Mucks is gone?
It seems pretty likely1 that Muckler is no longer GM in Ottawa. Expect an announcement in the next few days.So why is this happening on the heels of what can be argued as the most sucessful playoff run in modern Senator’s history? Quite simply the will to win isn’t there yet.
Yeah, it hurts to say it…
Muckler has for the past few seasons only been willing to minorly tinker with the roster, merely adding one or two ‘fixes’, and seemingly only when people were calling for his head. Usually these fixes haven’t worked out. Notably this year’s fixes have done much better, Corvo, Preissing et al.
However his much greater folly has never been to mess with the core of the team since the much hyped Heatley for Hossa trade. In not touching the core of the team he has shown his faith on the ability of that group to step up when needed. That group utterly failed him during the final round of the playoffs.
Spezza and Heatley were non factors. Totally shut down. Redden, Muck’s pick over Chara (of which I agree) while produced somewhat, he was a very large liability on the ice during most defensive plays. Not to mention of his non-play all season long.
Perhaps the final straw was Muckler’s unwillingness to trade Redden this off season?